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Alaska Medical Specialties

Alaska Medical Specialties provides all the resources and technology of
a large healthcare center on a more personal scale, offering great care
right at home in Alaska. We take an integrative care approach, designed
to treat the whole person and not just the disease. We operate on the
firm foundation of doctors who are experts in their fields, a team approach,
and a patient-centered staff.

Alaska Medical Specialties offers comprehensive medical care in four sub-specialties,
including cancer treatment, urology, women’s health, and clinical
research. Our doctors are experts in one or more specialties, making great
healthcare possible without leaving Alaska. Learn more about our centers below.

Alaska Cancer Treatment Center

TrueBeam Radiation Therapy

TrueBeam is a highly advanced, computerized system that enables Institute
doctors to very specifically and very effectively target cancerous cells
with radiation therapy. We have the system in our office, which enables
the Institute to provide our patients with all aspects of treatment in
one location.

The TrueBeam is a state-of-the-art radiotherapy system that uses nonin­vasive
tumor-destroying radiation to treat cancers throughout the entire body
(head, lung, breast, prostate, skin, etc.) as it minimizes exposure to
surrounding healthy tissue.

TrueBeam performs many advanced forms of radiotherapy. These include intensity-modulated
radiotherapy (IMRT), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and Stereotactic
Radiosurgery (SRS) or Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT). IMRT is a
treatment technique where doctors are able to customize your radiation
dose by varying (or modulating) the amount of radiation that is sent to
different parts of your tumor.

IGRT uses advanced imaging so doctors can visualize your tumor. This allows
them to verify the exact position of the tumor and treat it precisely
during each treatment appointment. SRS and SBRT are techniques where doctors
precisely target a small area in your brain (SRS) or other parts of your
body (SBRT) with great precision and accuracy with only 1 to 5 treatments.

TrueBeam also uses an advanced motion management system which synchronizes
a beam system (that provides the beams of radiation for treatment) to
an imaging system (that allows doctors to “see” the tumor
they’re treating) to compensate for moving targets. Because treatment
delivery is noninvasive, there is no incision or surgery with TrueBeam.

The ability to deliver higher doses of radiation at great speed with TrueBeam
RapicArc technology allows most treatments to be given in just a few minutes
a day thus minimizing discomfort and interruptions to your daily life.

Every tumor is different, and TrueBeam can shape the radiation beam to
accurately match the size and form of just about any tumor regardless
of its shape. It uses a device called a multileaf collimator that has
120 computer-controlled “leaves” or “fingers”
that can move to create an aperture of different sizes and shapes. During
treat­ment, this aperture changes to target the tumor and minimize
exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue.

During your treatment, continuous video and two-way audio with the therapist
allows you to communicate easily throughout your treatment. TrueBeam runs
smoothly and quietly. Advanced features allow music to be played during
treatment, helping to enhance your comfort.